How to pack your moving clothes

Video: Top 17 Genius Moving Hacks That Will ACTUALLY Make Packing Easier

Content

Steps
Part 1 of 3: Preparing Clothes for Packaging
Part 2 of 3: How to Pack Your Clothes Effectively
Part 3 of 3: Sorting Clothes When Packing
Tips
Warnings
What do you need

Moving is an exciting and stressful event. Apart from the opportunity to change life and start from scratch, it comes with a lot of worries and packing things up. Basically, you can move your clothes in suitcases and travel bags, but good organization doesn't hurt when you move. Clothing weighs a lot, and during transportation from an old house to a new home, it must be protected from moisture and damage. It is advisable to plan the packing of the garment in advance and to use suitable packing materials.

Steps

Part 1 of 3: Preparing Clothes for Packaging

1 Lay out and sort your clothes. Over time, people can accumulate an amount of clothing that they may not even be aware of. First you need to get all the things from the closet, chest of drawers, attic, and also from under the bed. Spread your clothes out on the floor or on your bed and start sorting them by color, size, and material.
- Decide on categories and arrange items of clothing in different stacks.
- Start matching boxes and suitcases to size. If you end up with a relatively small stack of a particular type of clothing, then a small box will work for it. Larger stacks should be placed in a suitcase or larger box.
2 Get rid of unnecessary things. Now is the perfect time to try on old clothes that you haven't worn in years. Make sure it is free of mold, mothballs, moths and bed bugs. Smell if things have a musty smell. Decide how outdated and out of fashion such clothes are. After such a revision, you will have a stack of outdated, small, worn out clothes that are best to get rid of.
- Run your fingernail over the fabric. So you can find insects present on your clothes or the remains of the life of bedbugs (dried blood). It is best to throw these things away, especially if they are old and have been idle for a long time.
- Donate to those in need those items of clothing that are well preserved, but no longer fit you or will be useless due to climate change. Many donate their old clothes to homeless shelters and charities.
- Throw away all torn, stained, or frayed clothing. Pay special attention to old socks and underwear that have accumulated in drawers for years.
3 Set aside any clothing you need right away. You are unlikely to unpack all your belongings on the first day of the move, so pack a small bag of things to change into when you arrive at your new home. Do not forget to leave a set of clothes that you will wear on the day of moving, including underwear and socks.
- Place in a separate bag the items you will need when you arrive at your new home. It can be not only clothes, but also toothbrushes, shampoo, deodorant and other items.
4 Use old clothing to pack fragile items. During the move, you will most likely have to transport glass and ceramic dishes. Wrap these items in clothes you plan to throw away. Choose items of clothing that are sized to match the shape and size of the crockery. Elongated items can be wrapped in the leg of jeans. T-shirts and shirts can be used for wide plates.
- Place such items neatly on top of each other or side by side. Do not drop them from a height.
- You can also place extra layers of old clothing between fragile items when you put them in boxes or bags. To do this, you can use a shirt or pants made of soft fabric.
- Glasses and glasses can be packed in knee-highs and high socks.
SPECIALIST'S ADVICE
Marty Stevens-Heebner, SMM-C, CPO®

Certified Professional Organizer and Senior Relocation Manager Marty Stevens-Hibner is a Certified Professional Organizer (CPO) and founder of Clear Home Solutions, a living space and relocation service for seniors in Southern California. She is the first Certified Seniors Relocation Manager (SMM-C) in the United States and is also certified as a Residential Aging Specialist (CAPS) by the National Association of Home Builders. President-elect and member of the board of directors of the National Association of Relocation Managers of the Elderly, a member of the National Association of Professional Organizers and an expert on hoarding pathology and ADHD (confirmed by the Chronic Disorderly Institute).
Marty Stevens-Heebner, SMM-C, CPO®
Certified Professional Organizer & Senior Relocation Manager
Our specialist agrees: "To save space when moving, use soft fabrics such as T-shirts, pajamas and bedding to move items in the boxes you pack."
5 Leave some items in the chest of drawers. If you take the chest of drawers with you, you can leave some of the things in the drawers. These should be light items - underwear, socks and T-shirts, but sweatpants, jeans and outerwear are best available. Now you need to decide what to do with the chest of drawers: transport it as a whole or get the drawers out of it and disassemble the case. You need strong and strong helpers to load the chest of drawers.
- If the drawers open easily and are not equipped with a locking mechanism, it is better to remove them from the chest of drawers. Each box should be individually wrapped in plastic or placed in a sturdy bag. If you are using film, then wrap the box in several layers up and down so that the contents do not fall out of it.
- If you are going to transport the entire chest of drawers, then the drawers need to be fixed. Take a strong cord and tie it around the chest of drawers over one drawer. Secure both ends of the cord. Then take new cords and secure all other boxes.
- Attach the dresser securely to the truck or trailer. You can use the same cords or weight straps. Wrap them tightly around the chest of drawers and attach to the bottom or sides of the truck.

Part 2 of 3: How to Pack Your Clothes Effectively

1 Fold and / or curl clothing. Try to fold your clothes neatly and tightly to fit as many as possible into suitcases and drawers. It is best to fold the garment inside out so that it is easier to smooth it out after unpacking. If you are not afraid to wrinkle your clothes a little, you can roll them into bales.
- To form a bale, spread a large garment on a clean surface (such as a table). This could be a jacket, a winter coat, or a large sweater.
- Stack clothes on top of each other on top of a large item. Start at the largest size and work your way down to medium to bring the smallest garment to the top.
- Now grab one end of the large garment from underneath the bottom. Start rolling it to roll the entire stack tightly into one bale. You can secure your garment with an elastic band or elastic band for added security.
2 Place your clothes in small boxes. As with books, the weight of a garment is greatly underestimated. For this reason, it is best to put your clothes in small boxes instead of large boxes. Otherwise, the bottom of the box may fall out and all the clothes will end up on the floor.
- Choose boxes that are approximately 30 x 30 cm. Larger boxes are difficult to carry.
- When you fold things, periodically weigh the box in your hands. This will help you figure out when it's time to grab the next box.
3 Use suitcases to transport clothes. This is probably the most economical way to transport clothes (of course, if you already have suitcases). Just fold your clothes neatly and place them in your suitcase. Pants and T-shirts are best placed down to leave room for shirts and dresses.
- Use wheeled suitcases whenever possible. It is much more convenient to move them into your vehicle and into a new home.
- Don't put a lot of delicate items in your suitcase. Better to fold them loosely or use a different packing method. Suitcases are best for carrying T-shirts, jeans and trousers that can be ironed upon arrival.
4 Use wardrobe boxes. When transporting shirts, trousers and dresses, it is important to ensure that they do not get wrinkled. The wardrobe boxes are of sufficient height and have handles on both sides, as well as a hanger bar at the top. They can be used to hang clothes on a hanger, so there is no need to fold them. It will also help you not to think about where to place all your hangers.
- Find wardrobe boxes with a metal bar.If you are packing a lot of things into a box on a hanger, a metal bar will provide the necessary strength. In addition, such a box can be used several times.
- Wardrobe boxes are not cheap. Use them only when necessary. Buy a box or two and put your most valuable clothes in them.
SPECIALIST'S ADVICE
Marty Stevens-Heebner, SMM-C, CPO®

Certified Professional Organizer and Senior Relocation Manager Marty Stevens-Hibner is a Certified Professional Organizer (CPO) and founder of Clear Home Solutions, a living space and relocation service for seniors in Southern California. She is the first Certified Seniors Relocation Manager (SMM-C) in the United States and is also certified as a Residential Aging Specialist (CAPS) by the National Association of Home Builders. President-elect and member of the board of directors of the National Association of Relocation Managers of the Elderly, a member of the National Association of Professional Organizers and an expert on hoarding pathology and ADHD (confirmed by the Chronic Disorderly Institute).
Marty Stevens-Heebner, SMM-C, CPO®
Certified Professional Organizer & Senior Relocation Manager
Our specialist agrees: “Wardrobe boxes are very convenient for carrying clothes. They have a bar at the top, so you can just take things out of the closet and hang them right in the box. You can even fold items such as shoes, handbags and accessories to the bottom of the box. Then, when you arrive at a new location, you can simply take the clothes out of the box and hang them in your new wardrobe.
5 Place clothes in trash or vacuum bags. Garbage bags are cheap and will easily protect your clothes on the hanger. At the bottom of the garbage bag, you need to cut a small hole so that the hangers go through it. Place the clothes in the bag. At the bottom, the bag must be tied with a knot and secured with a tie.
- Vacuum bags are also a great option. They are inexpensive, sold in almost all department stores, and will save you a lot of space.
- Place clothes in vacuum bags, folded or unfolded, depending on the size of the bags. Close the top of the bag (they usually have a plastic clasp). Place a hose from the vacuum cleaner over the opening and remove the air.
- After removing the excess air, you will end up with fairly thin clothing bags that can be folded into suitcases or boxes.
6 Use box tags. Indicate the following on the tag: season, size, type (dresses, jackets, raincoats, underwear), who owns it and where to put it in the new home. You can buy ready-made move tags or make your own. You can simply glue small pieces of paper to the box. Use strong adhesive tape.
- Cover the tag completely with tape. This will protect it from rain if it rains on the day of the move. The information will still remain well readable.
- Use a black pen or marker for the writing. This way they will not wear off during transport.
7 Shoes should be packed separately from clothing. Thanks to this, the clothes will not get dirty. You can use shoe boxes if you still have them. Then they can be folded into one large box.
- Fill the shoes with socks or paper to keep them in shape and not get damaged if you have no boxes left. Thanks to this, the shoes will not lose their appearance.
- Aim the toes of your shoes in different directions to save space in the box.
8 Transport your clothes without packaging. If you are moving nearby, you do not need to pack. For example, if your new home is across several streets, you could fold your clothes in the back seat of your car right along with the hangers. Don't carry a lot of clothes at once. Take just a few boxes. First, move those things that you will not need immediately after the move.

Part 3 of 3: Sorting Clothes When Packing

1 Group your clothes by material type. You should put clothes made of the same material in one box. It can be silk, cotton, polyester, wool and other fabrics. Each material requires a different care, has a different thickness and tendency to wrinkle. This will make it easier for you to sort the clothes in your new home and first unpack the ones you need first.
- Woolen fabric is thicker than the rest and wrinkles less. To wrap these items, fold them as usual and place them on top of the rest of your clothing. You can place paper towels between the items of clothing to avoid tangling. It is also possible to use several additional boxes according to the thickness of the fabric.
- Silk and cotton are thinner and wrinkle easily. If you are not intimidated by the folds, then put these clothes in a separate box. You can always iron it with an iron. But if you don't want wrinkles in your clothes, then hang each item on a hanger and put a plastic bag over them. Then hang them in a vehicle or wardrobe box.
- Polyester and synthetic materials can be safely folded into boxes. They are quite thin and hardly wrinkle. Fold them like any clothing and place them in the box on top of each other.
2 Pack your off-season clothing first. You will not need it right away, so you can indicate the type of clothing on the tag so that you can unpack such boxes last. For example, if you are moving in early summer, pack all your fall sweaters and winter coats first. If you are moving in January, fold the T-shirts and short-sleeved shirts first.
- If you are packing during one of the transition months, then leave some of the necessary items at the top of the box.
- Pack your special clothing as well. This includes camping equipment, swimming trunks and more. Surely, in the event of a large move, all travels will have to be postponed.
3 Arrange your clothes for the seasons. Use different boxes for summer, fall, winter and spring clothes. Spring and summer clothing is usually lighter and can be packed tightly. Such wardrobe items wrinkle quite easily, so it is better to leave some things on a hanger. Fold wisely as the space needs to be used efficiently. Autumn and winter clothes are denser and less wrinkled. She needs a lot of boxes, but almost no hangers are needed.
- Do not forget about the tags, otherwise you will have to rummage through every box in search of the right item.
- Sort your clothes according to the climate of your new home. If traveling north, pack your winter clothes first. This way you can use it immediately upon arrival. When heading south, pack your spring and summer clothes first.
4 Divide the clothes by size. Place all the large items in one box and the smaller items in the other. For example, sweaters, jackets, raincoats and jeans can be put in one box, Underwear, socks, gloves, hats, leggings will fit in a small box. Remember to include the contents of the box on the tag as you will be mixing different types of clothing.
- Make a list of all your packaged clothes so you don't have to be fooled with a tag later.
- Combine different packaging methods. For example, put together large pieces of clothing that you only wear in winter. Pack small silk items. This will save yourself a headache while unpacking.
5 Divide clothing according to purpose. Place all your pants and pants in one box. You should also pack your underwear separately. Use one box for shirts only. This method is well suited for quick transfers. If your move takes a long time, it is better to use other packaging methods that allow you to put different types of clothes in one box.

Tips

Do not put jewelry in clothing boxes. So you risk losing them or tearing the fabric.
Pack only dry and clean clothing.You don't need mold in your new home. It will also help protect the rest of your clothing from unpleasant odors.
Separate delicate items with paper towel or cloth layers.
It is better to put hats in separate large boxes. It is very important that they do not lose their shape.
Heavy items are best placed on the bottom of the boxes, while light items can be folded on top.
If you wrap fragile items in clothing, do not wrap sharp items that could rip or puncture your items.

Warnings

Remember to put insect repellent in the boxes, especially when packing clothes for a long time. Spiders, ants and other insects like to settle in warm fabric. It is better to use special products for clothing.
Particularly heavy items are best placed in several boxes. Just place the smaller box in the larger box. So it will be easier and more reliable to transfer them from place to place.